"He's a Crowd" is a 1991 episode of the American legal drama L.A. Law. In this episode, attorney Michael Kuzak defends a man with multiple personalities who is accused of murder. Attorney Rosalind Shays helps her lover, Leland McKenzie, assist a client. Attorney Arnie Becker's divorce continues, and attorneys Abby Perkins and C.J. Lamb work together to increase Abby's visibility at the firm. During this time, Abby and C.J. share a close moment. This episode is the 12th of season 5 and was written by David E. Kelley.
"He's a Crowd" is the first episode in a series that includes scenes where a female character who identifies as lesbian or bisexual kisses a female character who identifies as heterosexual. When the episode aired, it caused some controversy, and a few advertisers removed their commercials from the broadcast. Although later episodes in the season suggested that Abby and C.J. might develop a romantic relationship, this did not happen. Michele Greene, who played Abby, left the series at the end of the season.
Plot
Michael Kuzak represents Gregory Edmonson, a man with multiple identities, who is accused of killing his girlfriend. Testimony from one of Gregory's alternate identities suggests that another identity, named Sean, committed the murder. However, under stress, a new identity, a woman named Camille Green, appears and admits to killing the girlfriend because Gregory's girlfriend had ended their relationship. Camille also confesses to killing Gregory's father, a death previously believed to be a suicide. To avoid sending Gregory or Sean to prison, Camille causes them to enter a deep sleep and becomes the main identity.
A long-term client visits Leland McKenzie, worried that a board member is trying to make him leave the company he founded. Leland, along with his partner Rosalind Shays and attorney Anne Kelsey, works to prove the board member is corrupt and successfully removes him from the company.
Arnie Becker's divorce from Corrinne continues, and Arnie fires his longtime secretary, Roxanne Melman, after she is required to give a deposition about his affairs. Managing Partner Douglas Brackman hires Roxanne as the new office manager.
After being denied a partnership, attorney Abby Perkins collaborates with C.J. Lamb to help Abby earn more money from her work. Following a celebratory dinner, Abby and C.J. share a kiss. Although surprised, Abby shows some interest in exploring the relationship further.
Lesbian kiss episode
The episode titled "He's a Crowd" was the first in a series of "lesbian kiss episodes" on the television show L.A. Law. In these episodes, a lesbian or bisexual character kissed a female character who was described as heterosexual. C.J. Lamb, played by Amanda Donohoe, described her sexuality as "flexible," while Abby Perkins, played by Michele Greene, was shown as heterosexual. NBC stated that the episode was not meant to create a lesbian character but to add "texture" to Lamb's character. Some advertisers were upset, and about five sponsors removed their ads from the episode. However, NBC replaced the ads, though at a lower cost. Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association encouraged people to protest and write letters to advertisers. NBC received only 85 phone calls about the episode after it aired, and nearly half of those calls were supportive. Patricia Green, a producer of L.A. Law, said that the number of people who might be offended by such scenes was much smaller than the number of people who could be affected by the episode. She argued that concerns about losing business were not based on real facts. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (now known as GLAAD) praised the episode, noting that Lamb was the only lesbian or bisexual regular character on American television at the time. The kiss was widely discussed in media coverage of L.A. Law for months after the episode aired.
Later episodes suggested that C.J. and Abby might be interested in a romantic relationship. However, Greene left the show at the end of the season. A female former lover of C.J. was introduced in a later episode titled "The Nut Before Christmas," but C.J. eventually became involved with a male attorney. Donohoe left L.A. Law after the sixth season, and in the seventh season, it was mentioned that C.J. had left the law firm to join the LPGA.
In the years following "He's a Crowd," other American television shows included episodes where a female character who was supposedly heterosexual kissed or was kissed by a character who appeared to be lesbian or bisexual. These episodes often aired during "sweeps" periods, times when Nielsen ratings are used to determine advertising rates. The New York Times noted that kisses between women were often used as strategies to attract viewers during these times. Other early episodes that caused controversy included "Sugar and Spice," a 1993 episode of Picket Fences written by David E. Kelley, and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," an episode of Roseanne from 1994. Michele Greene later confirmed in an interview that the kiss between her character and C.J. was intended as a way to increase viewership, and there was no plan to explore a serious relationship between two women.